Expand Outdoor Living: Decorate or Build a New Front Porch

Attention Foxboro homeowners: do you have a patio that isn’t as beautiful or as useful as it once was? Do you have a home without a front porch? Whether it’s time to give your old patio a facelift or you have decided that it’s high time that you put in a brand new outdoor living space, this is the article for you. Learn how to refresh and expand your outdoor living area, how to decorate a front porch or how to build a new front porch.

By the time summer rolls around, you could have a gorgeous front porch where you and your family will gather to enjoy a glass of iced-tea, watch the neighbors go by and enjoy checking out the stars and the moonlight. A well-designed and decorated front porch sets the tone for the rest of the house. Updating or improving your front porch and entry way can do great things for the overall curb appeal and perceived value of your home to all who pass by.

Evaluating the Situation
The first step for Foxboro homeowners who are thinking about making a change to their front porch is to evaluate the situation. Do you already have a front porch? Is it large or small? Do you want to expand outdoor living opportunities to the front of your house? Can you update or decorate your front porch, or do you need to start over and build a new front porch from scratch? Once you answer some of these questions and figure out what you want to do, you can begin shopping around for ideas and then take a look at options with regard to materials for your new front porch project.

Option A – Build a New Front Porch
Whether you already have a front porch and it is structurally damaged or in need of so much work and repair that it’s better to start over from scratch, then Option A is for you. Here are some basics on how to build a new front porch to expand outdoor living to the front yard for Foxboro homeowners and residential properties throughout the northeastern states.

Step One – The first step is to clear the ground. If you are replacing an existing porch, it will need to be removed completely. Starting with a well-measured, cleared and leveled ground will help to set a solid foundation for your new front porch. Remove any rocks or other materials that are in your way and dig down to a depth of five inches below the height that you want to porch to sit at in relation to your home. If the ground level will be at a significant height above or below the grass area around the building area, consider building a retaining wall or another type of structure that can be used to add support to the porch.

Step Two – Fill the area with about an inch of compacted sand or lime and follow it up with a layer of loose gravel to provide a way for water to runoff and soak back into the ground more efficiently. Speak with a customer service agent or sales person at J&J Materials about the type of materials the suggest that you use when you build a new front porch with natural stone or pavers. They can help you get the right foundation based upon your specific needs and the materials you are using.

Step Three – Measure to see exactly how many pavers or bricks you will need to build a new front porch. Depending on the size of the materials you use, which can range from a foot square to a foot and a half or larger, you may need a lot or you may need a little. Figuring out your layout ahead of time will prevent you from having to go back and forth for additional supplies throughout the project.

Step Four – Get your materials and begin to lay the pavers, leveling each one individually as you lay it for the most consistent results. Once all the bricks or pavers have been put down and you double-check the height and level of each one, you can begin filling in the pavers with sand or polymeric sand to increase the stability and strength of the overall project. Sweep the sand into the cracks between the pavers or bricks. Hose it down according to the manufacturer’s instructions and add more sand, if required. Check with J&J Materials about any sealing that can be added to preserve the look and feel of your new patio for many years to come.

Option B – Upgrade Your Front Porch
So you already have a front porch but just don’t like the way it looks. Concrete porches can be upgraded quickly and easily through the use of stylish and colorful pavers. J&J Materials has a wide variety of natural stone, concrete, permeable and manufactured pavers that can be used to add texture, color and pizzazz to any front porch. Foxboro homeowners should consider the height of their current patio to the threshold height of the front door to make sure that there is sufficient room to add an extra layer of pavers.

Front porch steps can be upgraded by using bluestone, granite, limestone, Pennsylvania stepping stones or Nantucket pavers to create a beautiful new entry from your sidewalk to your newly updated front porch. Speak with the team at J&J Materials about matching or coordinating materials that can be used to bring the new look from your patio to the steps and down to your front walkway, creating a beautiful decorative effect that will catch your neighbors’ eyes!

Option C – How to Decorate a Front Porch
If your front porch is in good shape and just needs some sprucing up, there are some simple things you can do to add a touch of character and class while you expand outdoor living opportunities. Start with a clean slate. Take everything off of your porch – furniture and all – and give it a good scrub down. Clear away spider webs, wash down the walls, mop or hose off the flooring. Consider adding stain or paint to wood to freshen up railings with a bit of color. Consider adding a rug and get fresh cushions, pillows and throws for cool summer evenings.

Use natural stone or pavers to create built-in garden beds in front of your front porch to add texture, color and interest. Consider adding natural stone thin veneer to pillars, columns or other spaces where some texture and decoration would be an improvement. Add treads or steppers to cover plain or uninteresting steps or replace them if they are in poor condition. Add potted plants for a moveable container garden that can be brought inside during the winter months or moved to increase or decrease sun exposure throughout the season.

Where to Get Materials to Decorate or Build a New Front Porch
Visit J&J Materials for a wide array of choices with regard to natural stone, thin veneer, permeable and concrete pavers, mulch, gravel, decorative stone and more. Whatever type of porch you want to build or however you want to decorate to expand outdoor living, J&J Materials has all of the supplies you’ll need to make your front porch dreams come true.